Early Fire Department
The first volunteer fire company in Rock Falls was known as the Keystone Hose Co., named because the equipment belonged to the Keystone factory. Meetings were held at the Keystone plant. No night was too cold or wet for the hardy volunteers, who responded at all hours to the fire bell. Many times,e specially at night, there were only five or six men, but they were joined by more along the way. The men pulled the fire wagon until the full team arrived.
In 1907 a fire station was built, shortly after the city jail had been erected. It joined together the jail and the city hall building. The department continued to be a volunteer one, but its name was changed from Keystone Hose Co. to the Rock Falls Fire Department. Much new and better equipment was purchased and a fire wagon and a team of spirited horses was obtained.
The horses soon became favorites among the citizens of Rock Falls. They were named "Thome" and Grady" after ex-mayor A.A. Thome and ex-postmaster C. C. Grady. The responsibility for their training fell to P.A. Whitney, who soon after the fire station was completed became the first driver of the fire wagon. He worked patiently with the horses, training them so well they performed their duties efficiently for 13 years, at which time a motor truck was purchased.
When Whitney was the driver of the fire wagon theere were from 16 to 18 volunteers on the department. He served for over one year and was succeeded at the end of that time by Robert Nicol. The two fire horses found a good home for retirement at the George Eckert farm near Geneseo, where they lived several more years.
The members of the Rock Falls Fire Department in 1929 included John SMith, fire chief; Clyde Graves, assistant; Robert Nicol, fire truck driver; Sam McBride, assistant fire truck driver; Lloyd Emmons, Lawrence Hixon, Sam Traister, John Edeus and FredSmith. Fireman Fred Smith was the only member of the department who once belonged to the old original Keystone Hose Co. Fire truck driver Robert Nicol joined the department at the time it was organized.
Some of the early firemen were; C.C. Grady, A.C. Stanley, Andrew Burdick, A.J. McNeil, George Huffler, Stratton Mingle, Frank Beemis, John Pippert Sr., H. Shaffer, C.P. Frye, William Emmons, Harry Price, John Dickson, Robert Harper, P.A. Whitney, Marion Humphrey, Wallace Billings, Fred Wagley, Gus Hansen, William Deyoe, Allie Morrison, Edward Haag, Edward Hankenson, Herman Redemeyer, Gus Petri, E.L. Longellow, Dan Roland, John Lineberry and Clifford Graves.
A.C. Stanley, Robert Harper, John Washburn and Clarence Scott were several of the early fire chiefs of the Department. Connie Nicol, former fire chief of the Sterling Fire Department and a father of the present fire chief, Richard Nicol, was a regular attendant at the firemen's meetings with his dad when he was a youngster. When the roll was taken, Connie's name was always called and he responded in the same manner as the firemen died.
From the Daily Gazette July 25, 1967
